Sporting Kansas City has a new head coach. What to know about Raphael Wicky
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Sporting Kansas City hired Raphael Wicky on a 2½-year deal through 2027-28.
- Wicky brings international and Swiss success, including a Young Boys double.
- Sporting KC aims preseason in Florida and Coachella before Feb. 20 season opener.
With Major League Soccer’s 2026 season on the horizon, Sporting Kansas City is entering a new era.
Starting with a new head coach.
The club on Monday morning announced that Raphael Wicky has been hired to that position on a 2 1/2-year contract that will run through the 2027-28 season, with an option for 2028-29.
Wicky, 48, becomes the fifth head coach in Sporting KC history, following in the footsteps of Peter Vermes, who held that title (among many others) from 2009 until March 2025, when he and the team parted ways.
“I am very proud to be the new head coach of Sporting Kansas City,” Wicky said in a club news release. “I am really excited to get started and get to know the team, the staff and the players.
“In my talks with (president of soccer operations and general manager) David (Lee), we instantly had a good connection and felt very aligned in terms of culture and style of play. Sporting KC has always been a team that competed to win trophies, and I feel that the club has all the ingredients to get back to where it belongs — great ownership, amazing facilities, a talented academy and a beautiful stadium with fantastic fans.”
What Sporting KC saw, and liked, in Raphael Wicky
Lee said Wicky’s success at the international and domestic levels made him a “standout candidate” during the team’s search process.
“He is a leader and a proven winner who will bring a humble, collaborative and hardworking approach to his role and strive to build strong relationships with our players and staff,” Lee said in the news release.
Wicky has coached in MLS before. He was head coach of the Chicago Fire for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, compiling a record of 12-26-14.
His most recent spell as manager was with Swiss Super League powerhouse BSC Young Boys from 2022-24. The team won a league and cup double in the 2022-23 season under Wicky’s leadership. He guided Young Boys to a 51-17-20 record across all competitions.
Wicky was let go after Young Boys was eliminated from cup competition and the Europa League — albeit at the hands of a powerful Sporting CP team, and despite the fact Young Boys remained at the top of the Swiss League table.
Previously, Wicky was in charge of the United States U-17 national team for the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship and 2019 U-17 World Cup.
The first coaching stop of his career was with FC Basel in 2017-18. He helped that club reach the UEFA Champions League’s Round of 16 after defeating Manchester United and Benfica in the group stage.
As a player, Wicky competed for Atlético Madrid and Hamburger SV and represented Switzerland, earning 75 caps and playing in every game at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He ended his playing career with Chivas USA of MLS in 2008.
So what can Sporting KC fans expect from Wicky?
While Wicky’s previous MLS coaching stint wasn’t very successful, his time in Chicago coincided with a period of some disarray in the Fire’s front office.
In Switzerland, his teams implemented a possession-oriented style of play that attacks with intensity. Young Boys scored 193 goals in 88 matches with Wicky in charge.
Sporting KC begins its preseason Saturday and will split time again between Florida and the Coachella Valley Invitational in California.
Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.
This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM.